The Three Travelers and their Respective Journeys
by Welt Ende
Summary: Three wanderers happen to pass across each other in the middle of their long journeys, each of them searching for a precious someone who is waiting in a certain faraway place. One heads towards Avalon, the other towards the Reverse Side of the World, and another just waits till the day they would be reunited. The three make a small pause for a chat with each other...


The first one was walking on a long, long road.

Since when did he start to walk? Until when must he keep on walking? He didn't even know such a thing himself.

Despite that, his feet that keep on moving forward didn't stop.

For the sake of saving the people who are trapped in the darkness…

For the sake of saving someone who is trapped by their inescapable fate…

For the sake of fulfilling that distant promise…

He continued his journey.

* * *

The second one was always… She was always searching.

Without any clues, or even a single hint found on the way.

For the sake of fulfilling the oath she made that day, no, even if there wasn't an oath that was made, she would still do it.

Just because she wanted to meet him again…

As if she wanted to confirm those feelings of hers akin to a small bottle floating in the ocean, she continued this pilgrimage to the Other Side.

* * *

There wasn't even a promise made or anything to begin with, just a one-sided farewell.

And in the end, the third one didn't know if it was reality or a simple illusion that his mind showed to him just because he missed her.

But even after all those years, the yearning to see her didn't diminish the least…

So he would search for her, wherever it is in reality or in his dreams.

Until the day when they would finally be able to laugh together like they used to...

* * *

An everlasting grassland and a small road that can only be walked through by a single person that seemed to continue forever. It was impossible to know where it was, or what time it was currently. The only thing that it could be told is that there was just this road here, and that he should just keep on walking through it―this was how the man convinced himself to keep on going through it even by now.

Well even if there wasn't such a road on his path, it wouldn't stop him from keeping on walking but that's another story.

One step, and then another, he walked and kept on walking on this gravel road.

―After a while, a crossroads came into view on the grassy road. And―

"Hmm?"

"Oh my?"

"...Ah."

There, a strange encounter happened.

A young man with reddish brown hair and hazel eyes, a young woman with braided long golden hair and amethyst-colored eyes, and another young man with both eyes and hair of a black color who was wearing glasses.

A man who keeps saving everyone other than himself, Emiya Shirou―

A woman who was continuing a pilgrimage for the sake of fulfill her promise, Jeanne d'Arc―

And a man who has the ability to see the 'death' of everything with his Mystic Eyes, Tohno Shiki―

This was their small story.

* * *

"Here, I am sorry to offer you such a frugal thing but if you want, take a sandwich."

"Ah, I am sorry for this, thank you very much."

"Oh, can I? Then I won't hesitate to help myself, thanks for that." Unlike the woman, the black-haired man didn't hesitate to take one of what the reddish-haired one was giving over, as if he could recognize what it was immediately. But that couldn't be said from the woman as she was staring at the food with curious eyes and hesitation over how to eat it, as if she had never seen such a thing before.

None of them remembered who started it but before they knew it they were together, talking like this even though they were strangers just a few moments ago. Well since they got the chance to know each other, they may as well have lunch together.

There was once an old japanese saying that said that 'traveling with someone else is more fun than traveling alone, and it is important to have many people sharing their compassion through the world'... or something like that.

It's a proverb like a life's lesson about how because there is encouragement and compassion in life, that helping each other is important.

It is unknown if that proverb can be applied to those three, but nevermind that, they still made a small pause in their long journey.

With plenty of margarine spread through the bread's surface, lettuce, tomato, cheese and ham was filling the inside of the sandwich.

Sandwiches that don't last a long time, but can still be eaten in one hand, are great portable foods.

"*Munch, munch, munch*... This is…! *Chomp, chomp* What a wonderful taste… *Crunch, crunch*" Jeanne was eating the sandwich in a very happy manner, taking it with both hands and stuffing her mouth with it.

Emiya Shirou thought that in contrast to her graceful appearance, she was eating her meal quite excitedly. And contrary to her lovely appearance, she may be quite a rigid person.

And Tohno Shiki literally stopped eating, his eyes and mouth opened wide open as he almost dropped his sandwich in shock at the girl's voracious eating. She was literally devouring her meal just like a starving beast and as if it was her final meal.

"You sure are eating well."

"Mgh?! *Cough, cough* I-I am sorry, it's been a while since I have eaten such a delicious thing so I…"

"Seriously… You sure are a big eater, and here I thought that men in their growing period are eating the most... perhaps you eat far more than him and me together?"

"...?! ...Uuuh…"

"..."

"E-Eh? No, I didn't want to say anything bad, so-sorry…" Shiki lowered his head in apology upon seeing Jeanne blushing deep to her ears and looking down in a depressed manner, of course Shirou's slight glare towards him didn't help the situation at all. Though he originally meant it as a joke, it seemed that unfortunately he had hit the bull's eyes.

"No it's alright." Shirou reassured her, "If even something that I made in hurry can make someone this happy, then it was worth it."

For someone like him who rarely eats with anyone since he started his journey, having someone who eats his cooking in such a happy manner was quite valuable. Besides this girl's appearance and her eating manner reminded him of a precious girl who shared those similarities. Just recalling those memories made him smile.

It seemed to be the same for Shiki, as he was reminded of how a certain vampire princess seemed to enjoy whatever is served to her no matter the season (eating ice cream outside in the middle of a freezing winter, or repeatedly eating hamburger without even getting tired of it...) though garlic seems to be the only exception about it, but he would have never thought that such a classic stereotype would work in such an unreasonable world...

* * *

Then he took another bite of sandwich as if he was affected by the girl's huge appetite. And then he frowned at the taste and started to grumble about it. This took both Jeanne and Shirou's attention.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Don't you like it? If not then maybe you can try something else."

"N-No, it isn't about that! It's just…" Thankfully neither seemed to be offended about him showing a grouchy face with such a delicious sandwich in his hand, Shiki ruffled his hair in annoyance as he couldn't form out what he wished to say. Besides it felt a bit embarrassing and childish in front of their mature and patient gazes.

But after a moment of silence, with the two others waiting patiently, he finally managed to open his mouth awkwardly, "...It feels a bit frustrating."

""Eh?""

"I-I mean, I also cook myself and I have eaten many sandwiches before, but… I don't feel like I can make such a delicious one, it seems simple but there's a lot of steps through it, o-of course I'm not complaining about the taste or anything, it's just… it's just that I felt like I have lost as a cook, and it's kind of frustrating… not that I have anything against you at all!"

""..."" Shiki was nervous as both the others were proceeding with the information he just revealed to them, and…

_'...I-Indeed… even though it's food from modern age, as a former farmer and more importantly as a single woman, to be beaten by a man in cooking is just…!'_

_'Now that I think about, I also used to think like that when I first ate Tohsaka's Chinese cooking… and let's not even talk about Archer.'_

...Both of them understood the feeling and felt compatible about it, so there were zero ill feelings about it. So in the end, it became an exchange of advice on how to reproduce it.

("Was the sauce homemade?"

"Yeah, I used a mix of mustard, honey, pepper, and…"

"I see, I see...")

Both Jeanne and Shiki were listening with great attention, it seems that there is someone to whom they want to let them eat such a thing so they want to learn how to prepare it. Shirou felt a bit awkward that he is teaching them quite a simple thing which is definitely not his best cooking up until now but since they were so eager about it, he couldn't help but teach them vocally as they were eating.

He then finished his own sandwich.

Although the dish was made with the ingredients available only, it has a very satisfying taste. Soon after, the three cleared all the piles of sandwiches.

"Thank you for the meal."

"Yes, thank you for the meal."

"Oh, no. It was nothing." Shirou waved off their thanks, if he knew that he would encounter people on his way then he would rather have them eat something better, but it couldn't be helped. Besides it was him who wanted to thank them for finishing all his dishes (he made too much by habit and unfortunately couldn't finish everything alone, and it will turn bad if it's left uneaten for too long so meeting them here was truly lucky).

"I'm sorry, even though I was enjoying an one-sided feast ..."

"Me too, you gave us so much yet we don't have anything to repay you with…"

"Don't worry. I made it a bit too much. It's better than having it getting damaged."

"Well, if you say so…" Shiki reluctantly accepted which made Shirou feel relieved. He had the habit of owing gratitude towards people but having people owe gratitude towards him was something he would never get used to.

"Is that so? But still thank you, at least allow me to show my gratitude." With her hands folded in front of her, praying and thanking him, Jeanne's actions made Shirou feel like he was in front of a saint.

Soon the three started chatting again, also serving as a break after meals.

* * *

"By the way, may I ask the reason for why the two of you are traveling?" Suddenly, after they were finished with their meals, Jeanne asked them such a question.

Shiki gestured to him to speak out first and both of their attentions were onto him now, Shirou scratched his cheek awkwardly before answering as if he was a bit embarrassed (he now understood how Shiki must have felt earlier). "Well… You may laugh at this, but… I'm aiming at becoming an ally of justice."

**'An ally of justice.'**

An existence that every child had dreamt to be at least once in their life, to save the weaks and crush the strongs. And for the sake of becoming such an existence, he was still continuing his journey.

When you grow up, those dreams will naturally disperse―realizing that there is no such thing anywhere. In fact, many laughed at his dreams. But a certain girl at his sides never laughed at his dream.

"There is nothing to feel ashamed about. Isn't it a wonderful dream?"

"Is that so?"

"Of course."

"Of course, and I can see from your eyes, about how your will is strong."

"―I see."

"Yes… However, it's very hard to keep walking through only on that path you believed in."

"..." The girl's words were heavy and made him feel it was the truth.

"You will make a lot of enemies. You will have to fight them. You have to do what you don't want to do. You may get your hands dirty. And if sometimes you start to hate it and want to stop, there is no way to turn back."

Not only Jeanne, but also Shiki was looking at him with a serious gaze even though he said nothing, and was waiting carefully at his answer. Shirou felt a bit honored that those two are taking his stubborn dream so seriously.

_'Well taking account of how Archer became, it's surely true.'_ Shirou thought about his future counterpart who regretted his decisions to the point of wishing to travel through time, go back to the past and kill his previous self so such a future wouldn't occur, even if it meant erasing his own existence by the same moment.

He never looked back, but he was sure there's no way left for him by now. Even if he has to trample on many things and make many people cry―he chose this path. He choose it.

"―Yeah, since I began my journey, I'm feeling it. The fact that I may even die in the process, of course it wasn't only once or twice. But…"

"But…?"

"It's something that I've decided myself."

That's right, it was definitely something he had decided for himself. Since that night under the moonlight, where he had swore to his dying adopted father.

_"I'll become an ally of justice in your place―"_

_'It was like a curse, but I decided it myself.'_ Besides he even came across a star-like entity that believed that he could keep on walking through this same path. So he is fine. Even if he were to die in the middle of the road, regrets are the only things he would never have.

Then both of them turned to Shiki who had yet said anything, waiting for him to voice out his opinion. He only had his legs and arms crossed and a deep frown over his closed eyes.

And then after a deep breath, he opened them as if he was resigned to something grave and directed his hard gaze on Shirou. "Can I say my honest opinion?"

It seems that his opinion was different from Jeanne's. So Shirou steeled himself, he was used to other people denying his dream, but none of them were asking permission for it. So he'll listen to this person's opinion, and if he thinks them as wrong then he'll refute it.

"Go ahead."

"Thanks." And with that…

"Sorry for saying this, but your dream only sounds like a suicide plan to me."

"..."

"..."

Even though both Shirou and Jeanne didn't say anything, Shiki continued as if he took it as an authorization to keep on speaking. "If it's risking your life for the sake of saving someone dear to you, I can understand. But to save many other people that you don't even know? That I can't."

Tohno Shiki had many interactions with death thanks to his eyes and family heritage. Wherever it's about being the killer or the victim, he had experienced both sides. His teacher also taught him about the importance of life, and how it shouldn't be toyed with, and he had no doubt that those two in front of him also knew it. But…

"It seems that you consider others' lifes as important and yours as insignificant in comparison, you make it sound as if as long others are alright, you won't care about what happens to you, and that's scary."

It isn't abnormal to put your life above others, even if some would call you a coward, they would surely do the same thing in a similar situation no matter what they say. It isn't a crime for wishing to survive.

"It was as if you are going to sacrifice the smallest number of people in order to save the largest amount. But no matter how much you try it's impossible, saving one person also means to abandon another."

That was apparently the way that Kiritsugu used to think. ...Well, everything he is saying currently are things that Shirou already heard in the past, the last words of Kiritsugu, and Tohsaka's long and emotional scolding, so it didn't have as much impact as the first time, but then…

"If a person you cared about and many that you don't even know were both in critical situations, will you sacrifice that single person in order to prioritize the bigger number of survivors?"

"..." ...That was unexpected.

The Shirou of the past would probably follow Kiritsugu's footsteps no matter what. But what about the current Emiya Shirou? The man who went through the Fifth Holy Grail War, who met Saber, who clashed against his future alternate self, who decided to live in the present instead of changing the past…

_Kiritsugu, Fuji-nee, Sakura, Tohsaka, Illya... **Saber**..._

Would he be able to sacrifice them for the sake of saving the world...? Would he choose the world over them...? Perhaps if he didn't meet them he would, but for the current him... there was not even the need to scale them...

Shiki was studying under a careful eye before he threw himself backward and laid on the grass, his limbs spreading, "Nope, it's fine now."

"...? I have yet to answer anything though?"

"No need to, you're a stupidly honest guy, your face just told me everything I needed to know just now."

...Just what kind of face was he making?

"Well, it seems that you're aware of reality but yet you still try to pursue that naïve wish, it's childish but certainly not something that can be laughed about since you're still so serious about it. If you didn't realize it, I would have punched you, but there's no need to do so. Go drown in your ideals."

...Somehow this guy reminded him of Archer. But it seemed that, though begrudgingly, he had also accepted his ideals (even though he critiqued it).

Just a bit, Shirou felt irritated. 'Even though you just met me, what gives you the right to judge me while you know almost nothing about my circumstances? Or even the right to try and lecture me?'... Those words were on the tip of his tongue, but he managed to bite them back down and only managed a wry smile.

"Well thank you for your kind judgement."

Jeanne, nearby, was tense for a moment but soon broke into a gentle smile, watching the two of them bickering like two children fighting each other.

* * *

Now it was Jeanne's turn.

"Why are you traveling?"

"Yeah, especially a young woman like you all alone. Of course you may be qualified for that, but still…"

"I… am searching for someone."

"A person?"

"Yes… or rather no, I know where he is, so I am just searching for a way to get over there."

"...? I don't understand…"

"I'm sorry, I am not very good at explaining… but the best that I can say is that I am journeying for the purpose of searching."

It's easy to say, but definitely not easy to accomplish. She couldn't find any clues anywhere. Wherever it's visiting different countries or even crossing different dimensions was a different thing, but trying to reach the Reverse Side of the World was something she had absolutely no idea how to do. But despite the difficulties, she wasn't planning to give up under any circumstances―

"...It sounds like a tough journey."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah,

"Trying to journey to a place you can't even find... just imagining is already bad enough." Though he is saying as if it was normal, it felt hard for the girl to hear it so bluntly.

And this time, it was Shiki's turn to glare at him (the pot is called the kettle back).

Shirou coughs awkwardly as Shiki took the turn to ask this time, "But why are you searching so hard?"

"Because I promised… no, actually the promise has hardly anything to do with it." The girl looked up at the sky, as if she was remembering. ―An innocent homunculus boy. There was also the image of a certain pink-haired braid always turning around him, but it made her mood turn bad so she kicked him out of her mind (yes, him, not her, never again she would be mistaken about this).

"I just… wanted to see him." She wanted to see him, just to see him again. Hoping to fulfill this promise of reunion and hold his hand once more―

"And I want to clarify them, about those feelings in my heart ... my feelings for him."

"Eh?" Shirou looked at the girl's face with a surprised face.

On the contrary, Jeanne looked at the boy's face with a confused expression. "Is there something wrong? Did I say something weird?"

"N-No…" Shirou threw a look of distress towards Shiki, asking for some help out there, but the latter just awkwardly averted his gaze and whistled in a stiff manner. That traitor! He definitely had the same thoughts as him yet refusing to voice them out and leaving him deal with the situation all alone?!

_...However maybe this was the correct choice._

Emiya Shirou was aware (and from the look of it, it seems that so was Tohno Shiki). The true meaning of the emotions this girl is holding. That's because he once experienced it. A feeling held for a girl with golden hair and green eyes that she once met in her hometown. Even if his memory becomes vague, he will never forget his feelings. So be can tell her what her emotions are, but that's the answer I have to find on my own.

So Shiro keeps it silent. Surely, if she meets the one she seeks again, she will get the answer naturally.

* * *

"Now, it's finally your turn." Both Jeanne and Shirou focused all their attention on Shiki now.

The black-haired one could only hold their gazes for a few minutes before averting his own away from them painfully and asking in a whisper so small that it could have almost been blown away by the wind, "...C-Can't we just skip mine…?"

Both Shirou and Jeanne looked at each other while considering his answer, and…

"Come on, we already told you our sides, so it's only natural for you to tell yours now."

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about, I would also gladly like to hear the reason behind your journey."

...Which of course didn't work. Which was the reason for why he was now sandwiched between the two of them with no escape route possible. He knew that Jeanne didn't have any hidden intentions, in contrast to Shirou who just wanted to get back at him for bad-mouthing his dream (he was surprisingly childish despite the maturity he tried to show), which just made it far worse.

One of the two was too selfless, and the other was literally a saint. Compared to those two, he felt really like some kind of garbage (more about the latter than the former, the reddish-haired was selfish under all that selflessness).

For someone who spent his childhood, seeing the 'death' of living beings and being able to kill them by just cutting through those lines with a knife, those two were just too dazzling (he didn't mind admitting about Jeanne but he would never say it about Shirou).

Compared to those two's reasons, his own was just too… well, lacking in terms of logic. ...However, to him, it wasn't lacking at all in terms of feelings, so, after some hesitation and a few deep breaths…

"...Unlike you two, I… don't have a dream to realize, or a promise to keep." He paused for a small moment, yet the two didn't ask anything, they were probably expecting that he would explain himself the reason for his journey. So...

"...But there is someone I'm searching for just like you... though she's probably not even aware that I'm looking for her." He gestured his head towards Jeanne, "However, the difference is that I don't even know where she is actually, all I know is that she's alive and… sleeping."

He remembered the sunset at his highschool classroom, where after her supposed death, the White Vampire Princess of the True Ancestors suddenly appeared in front of him and informing him that she would put her consciousness back to sleep in order to restrain her vampiric urges for blood so that she wouldn't hurt him in the process. She said everything she wanted before disappearing of her own, without letting him the time to say nor do anything back.

"She barges into my life suddenly as she pleases, messes it up and then leaves without a single warning. It just feels unfair. That's why I'm searching for her, to get it back to her. I'll drag her out of her sleep, and then…"

Those explanations felt like excuses, yet there are also his true feelings. In the end, it wasn't so much different from Jeanne's, but the clear difference is that unlike her, he is convinced of his own feelings towards the one he is searching for, and also about the fact that it's a mutual thing between them.

"...And then, we'll go out like, we will have fun and laugh like we used to do." He finished with a peaceful smile on his face. He simply wanted to go back to those days he spended with her, he wanted to bring back those days with his own hands in the future, instead of the past.

Jeanne sent him a similar smile, as if she was satisfied with his answer and said something along the lines of 'It's wonderful, I hope your wish would be granted.'

Shirou showed a complicated face like the one he did when the former revealed his dream, so Shiki prepared himself for some harsh criticism, but Shirou just ruffled his own hair and sighed tiredly.

"I did say that her journey was hard, but so are yours, huh? Or rather, isn't it even worse? Searching for someone without even knowing where that person is, it's not about the possibility of reaching a place or not anymore. Traveling without a single clue, isn't that pretty much impossible? It's not like you can use luck at your advantage here… You said that my situation was ridiculous but so is yours, if even not worse."

Okay, it did sounded pretty stupid, but it's not like he had anyone who knew where she was (Roa and Ciel-senpai were pretty much deceased by now), and she didn't even revealed it herself (ignoring all his questions in order to say everything she wanted to say). So all he could do now was to wander around and hopefully find her somewhere… through intuition? It couldn't be helped!

"...But, someone once told me that during those helpless times, absolute belief towards each other is the most important. If both keep on believing without wavering nor giving up, then it would eventually come true."

Both Shiki and Jeanne widened their eyes at Shirou's unexpected words. And after it was properly registered in their minds, "That's some nice advice you have there, didn't expect such a nice comeback when I just criticised you earlier."

"Well, in the end I'm just the same as you, and so is she." Shirou whispered the last part so Jeanne wouldn't hear it, he grinned wryly and so did Shiki when he understood the hidden meaning behind those words; in the end, the three were hopeless fools in love.

Jeanne put both her joined hands on her chest before closing her eyes in a pensive manner, "Whoever gave you that advice must be someone wonderful."

Shirou blinked and then cringed a bit, "To say the truth, I don't understand myself but I don't think that's the case."

"Oh my, why?"

"It sounds like good advice to me."

"The advice may be good, but probably not the person behind it."

(Somewhere else, in the Garden of Avalon, a certain Magus of Flowers sneezed as his familiar Cath Palug dodged it before kicking him in the chin.)

* * *

"Then, I'll go ahead."

"Okay, so let's continue the journey."

"Yeah, time to say goodbye."

When they get up, they pack up their luggage. They stood in the middle of the crossroads they had just met.

"I'm on this path―"

"I'll go on this one―"

"―And I'm over there."

They each pointed to an opposed direction from the other and took a different path―perhaps they will never see each other again. So they decided to exchange their final words here and now.

"Then I'm praying for your pilgrimage to reach him, and for you to wake up that sleeping beauty of yours."

"I'm also praying for your two's long journeys to reach their goals."

"And I'm hoping that both your wishes will get granted."

That was the only goodbye word. They just exchanged words, ate meals together, and confirmed each other's vows―that's it.

The three separated without confirming each other's names.

That was good, it was better like this―it was plenty enough.

The young man walked on one side, and the girl on the other, and the other young man to another. They started walking without looking at each other and looking only at the front, at the path before them, without ever looking back.

To fulfill the wishes that should not come true, like a prayer, like a wish to the stars―

What happened at the end of the man's journey, the girl's pilgrimage, and the other man's search?

_―That… **is a whole different story.**_

* * *

**A/N.:**** Since there was a reader (_Mangareader13_) who reviewed that "that should Shiki and Shiro meet they would hate each other because of their respective views on death", I decided to update a small explanation on this date of Thursday October 29th 2020.**

**Indeed it may be the case as it had been shown in the Type Moon Fate and Tsukihime crossover manga but in my fic, this Shirou and Shiki are not their high schooler selves but at least a few years older (minimum one year for Shiki since it had been stated that only one year passed since he became Satsushiki), so they had the time to mature up more mentally and accept that even though there are critical differences between their beliefs, they shouldn't push their own ideas on other just because they don't think the same.**

**Well if they still did it, Jeanne wouldn't stay silent on this and it would turn into a scene where she would scold both men while they sit on their knees. It's shown that Shiki doesn't agree with Shirou's way of thinking as he compared it to a "living torture" but decided to not intervene as he realize that Shirou wouldn't throw his life recklessly away since he has a person he absolutely want to find and be reunited with (which is something he can only do while alive and well), which is something he could reliate to. Which is why the three left each other on good terms.**


End file.
